epinephrine: epinephrine-stimulated cAMP synthesis

Epinephrine binds to a type of G protein-coupled receptor known as a beta-adrenergic receptor. When stimulated by epinephrine, this receptor activates a G protein that subsequently activates production of a molecule called cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate). This results in the stimulation of cell-signaling pathways that act to increase heart rate, to dilate blood vessels in skeletal muscle, and to break down glycogen to glucose in the liver.